When I saw his body give in, when I heard him moan and release inside her, I thought my mind would finally shatter into pieces and I would die from sheer pain.
She did it on purpose.
Bai Ning put that TV here to break me. She wanted to show me that I was replaceable, that I was nothing, that Ryuu could be corrupted and taken by a greater power.
The screen showed Bai Ning touching up her makeup, smiling victoriously, and leaving the room.
The door locked.
Ryuu was left alone.
He was sprawled across the bed, his chest rising and falling frantically, drenched in sweat, his unfocused eyes staring at the ceiling.
He didn't look like someone who had just felt pleasure. He looked like a glass doll that had been violently hurled against a wall and was about to shatter.
Silence reigned for a few seconds, until his weak, trembling voice echoed through the speakers in my cell.
"If Xue saw everything… how will she react?"
I held my breath.
He was thinking about me. Even after being attacked and forced like that, his first thought… was my pain.
"I want to throw up… This is basically NTR," he continued muttering, his voice heavy with disgust and self-loathing. "I hate NTR. Bai Xue doesn't deserve this. She's already suffered so much… This will destroy her."
Tears streamed down my face again, but this time they weren't tears of despair. They were hot, burning tears.
I watched his face twist with pure guilt.
"I'm really trash."
"No!"
I screamed, leaping to my feet and pressing both of my palms flat against the TV screen. His face was right beneath my hands.
The glass was cold, but I imagined the warmth of his skin.
"You're not trash, Ryuu! You're not!" I cried against the screen, caressing the pixels that formed his face. "It was her! She forced you! You did it to survive… you did it because you had no choice!"
My breath fogged the glass.
And then… as I looked into his guilty eyes, the haze in my mind cleared.
A terrifying clarity, sharp as a blade, cut through my pain.
This will destroy her.
He said that.
He was afraid of losing me.
He was afraid I wouldn't be able to endure it.
Bai Ning thought showing me this would make me give up. She thought the "NTR" would disgust me enough to turn my back on him—or to kill myself.
I let out a laugh.
A low laugh at first, rising up my throat until it turned into a hysterical cackle that echoed through the white walls of the cell.
"I understand…" I whispered, pressing my forehead against the TV glass, a wide, torn smile spreading across my face. "I understand everything now."
This wasn't a defeat.
This was a test.
The heavens, fate, or maybe hell itself were testing the limits of my love. They wanted to see if I was weak like Gu Sheng.
They wanted to see if my love was unconditional.
"You're suffering for me, Ryuu…" I murmured, my eyes shining with manic devotion. "You endured that woman's filth to stay alive… so that we can meet again."
The thought of suicide vanished completely from my mind, swept away by a protective fury so intense it made my blood boil.
I will not die.
I will endure this white room.
I will endure the cold food, the isolation, the humiliation.
I would endure the entire world if it meant returning to him.
I stepped away from the screen, straightened my wrinkled clothes, and wiped the sweat from my forehead. My posture changed. I was no longer the frightened girl dragged here.
I was Bai Xue, the woman who will burn this city to ashes if necessary.
I fixed my gaze on the blinking security camera in the corner of the ceiling. I knew Bai Ning would be watching my reaction somewhere.
"You failed, Mom," I said aloud, my voice cold and unwavering. "You tried to stain my love, but you only proved how much he needs me to clean up the mess. Lock me up. Try to break me."
I walked to the hard bed and sat down, crossing my legs with the elegance I learned during three years in high society.
"I'll get out of here. And when I do… I'll take everything from you, just like you tried to take him from me. Then I'll take back what's mine."
*End of POV*
…
I woke up after an indeterminate amount of time, and the white ceiling was the first thing I saw.
My situation was bad, but I was more worried about someone else.
'System, how is Bai Xue?'
[Insufficient level.]
[Only the heroine's affection status can be evaluated.]
'Then do that!' I shouted mentally.
[Immediately.]
____
Affection (Bai Xue): 90 (Obsession)
Corruption (Bai Xue): 95 (Obsession)
____
'What?!'
I was dumbfounded by that status.
I imagined Bai Xue would feel disgust toward me, maybe even hate me.
I was prepared to see -20 on the affection bar, but ironically that didn't happen, and I can't even imagine why.
'Dear system, explain that to me.'
[Sorry, even I don't know why that happened.]
"…"
It was a good thing, so I won't complain.
'But I'm still curious…'
Suddenly, a voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Ohhh… You're awake, my son?"
It was Bai Ning beside me, sitting in the same spot Yue had occupied a few days ago.
She didn't carry yesterday's coldness. She almost looked like a normal person.
I forced a smile at her.
"Hi, Mom."
She answered with a radiant smile.
"Hello, son."
"…"
"…"
The silence between us hung heavy. We just stared at each other without saying a word.
I guess that's normal. Even if she's my "mother," she doesn't know anything about me, and I don't know anything about her.
She's practically a stranger who gave me a blowjob yesterday.
It would be strange to start a conversation now.
But I guess I should try. After all, she has ninety affection and obsession. Any word from me should be enough for her.
"So… Mom, what did you have to deal with yesterday that made you leave in such a hurry?"
"Oh, nothing much, dear. I just had to handle a few little things at the company."
"I see…"
The silence settled over us again, but Bai Ning's smile remained unchanged.
It seemed like we wouldn't manage to have a real conversation, and I felt too lazy to talk.
'Let's just sleep then.'
A few seconds after I closed my eyes, I felt warm breath on my face and heard a melodic voice.
"Son… Did you enjoy what we did yesterday?"
When I opened my eyes, Bai Ning was right there. She was very close, her lips almost touching mine.
'I didn't notice her approaching.'
That was strange. I have four points in agility. My senses are almost supernatural, and yet I didn't hear her approach.
I stuttered a little, but managed to murmur an answer:
"Y-Yes, Mom… I-I liked it…"
"That's good, son… And since you like it so much, I'll give you a little present."
Before I could respond, she sealed my lips with hers. And to my horror, she effortlessly pinned my hands down when I tried to push her away.
"This is your reward. Just accept it."
She murmured against my lips before deepening the kiss. Her tongue invaded my mouth, coiling around mine like a snake.
It would have been a wonderful sensation if I hadn't still been in shock after seeing my level-four strength easily overpowered.
The kiss lasted several minutes. I was breathless when she pulled away.
Seeing my state, she just chuckled softly and licked her lips.
"My son is so cute when he's breathless… I can't wait to do this…"
I looked away from her, feeling like I would be devoured alive if I kept staring.
'System, answer me something.'
[Go ahead.]
'Why the hell is Bai Ning stronger than me? Shouldn't I have superhuman strength?'
[Bai Ning is a Yandere heroine, remember? Unlike the other heroines, she was created to be a monster in every aspect. She can withstand explosions and stop bullets with her bare hands. Pinning you down is the bare minimum for her.]
'You're telling me I'm dealing with a damn walking tank?'
[Yes. But look on the bright side. She loves you very much. Very, very much.]
'That's the problem—she loves me too much… And it's your fault! Give me my compensation now!'
The system fell silent. Only after a few minutes did it respond.
[Yes, yes, yes. Some mistakes were made. Compensation is valid in this context.]
I sighed in relief when I received the message. I really hoped the compensation would be something useful, because I couldn't imagine escaping that terrifying woman without any help.
[You may choose one of the following three compensations.]
____
[Skill: Mind's Eye (Gold): Allows partial reading of the target's thoughts.]
[Skill: Eye of Truth (Gold): Enhances the user's ability to distinguish truth from lies.]
[Skill: Eye of Lust (Gold): Induces lust through eye contact. The more intense the gaze, the stronger the lust awakened.]
____
So I can only choose one of these skills…
Mind's Eye is the most useful skill on this list. Meanwhile, Eye of Truth is the most useless, since Mind's Eye can basically do the same thing and much more.
And although I want to choose Eye of Lust, I know making the heroines even crazier about me could be a bad thing.
'I want Mind's Eye.'
[Transfer initiated…]
At that moment, I felt a burning sensation in my eyes, and tears began to stream down uncontrollably.
They weren't exactly tears. My eyes were simply watering because of the burning and itching.
I raised my hands to my face and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to find the strength to endure the pain without letting out a groan that might attract Bai Ning's attention.
'Looks like I just have to endure this quietly.'
Minutes passed, and the pain gradually subsided. I could still feel an itch in my eyes, but it was much weaker than before, when I wanted to claw them out.
I blinked slowly, noticing no difference in my vision.
When I looked at Bai Ning, I didn't notice anything strange either.
'Do I have to activate it mentally?'
'Mind's Eye!'
As soon as I thought it, a translucent screen formed above Bai Ning's head.
["My ###### love ######. All ###### mine. Only ###### mine."]
'System, your skill is defective.'
[No defect, host. This is the skill's effect. It allows you to read a few words from the target's thoughts.]
"…"
That's it.
I should've chosen Eye of Lust. That would've been more useful.
"Son, what's wrong? You look depressed all of a sudden."
I looked at Bai Ning, who was staring at me with concern, and said with a forced smile,
"It's nothing… I'm just feeling tired. I think I'll sleep for the rest of the day."
Her hand touched my head and stroked my hair. A sensation that was both relaxing and terrifying at the same time—especially when I don't know this woman's true intentions.
"Sleep well."
She kissed my forehead, and I closed my eyes while trying to look on the bright side.
'Look on the bright side. At least now you can sleep peacefully—you've got a war tank protecting you.'
[Hey! I'm supposed to say that!]
'But look on the bright side, System. At least now you're not the only one who says it.'
[…]
'Good night.'
[But it's daytime...]
'Nobody cares.'
***
Hello dear readers. I apologize for the delay; this chapter was a little late because I was working on a chapter for another novel.